The beginning of the Tea Industry in Sri Lanka (then called Ceylon) is a classic story. The British conquered the last Kingdom of Kandy which had defied their rule in 1815 and unified the country under the British flag. Ceylon from the earliest times was geographically located in the center of the traditional trade routes between India, Cambodia, China and other parts of the Far East. In spite of the many natural resources the tiny island of Ceylon in the Indian ocean had to offer, the climatic conditions were considered ideal in the early days for cultivation of Coffee. Many young British pioneers arrived in Ceylon and planted coffee. The first highland coffee plantation was established in 1825. By 1845, there were around 25,000 acres cultivated in coffee. The area under cultivation doubled within a short span of time and by 1869 the coffee industry in Ceylon was booming. However, when the future of the coffee industry seemed assured disaster struck in the form of a fungus, which within a decade drastically reduced the quantities available for export.
